In Proverbs 3:1-12, a father teaches his son about the relationship between obedience and reward.
At first glance, the obedience spoken of seems to be to the father’s own commandments. In verse 1, the father speaks of “my teaching” and “my commands.” But as the verses go on, it quickly becomes apparent that the father is really passing on God’s teaching and commands to his son. So, in verses 5 and 6, the father counsels his son to “trust in the Lord” and “acknowledge him.” In verses 7, 9, and 11, he teaches his son to “fear the Lord,” to “honor the Lord,” and to “not despise the Lord’s discipline.”
What Proverbs 3:1-12 is really talking about, then, is the covenant relationship between God and Israel, which promises divine rewards for human obedience. The odd verses speak about human obedience, while the even verses speak about divine rewards.
In verse 1, the father begins by exhorting his son to be obedient to his instruction:
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
According to the Fifth Commandment, the reward for honoring one’s parents is long life, which is reflected in verse 2:
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
But obedience is not the same thing as legalism. It is not merely external conformity to a law; it is also internal conformity to God’s character. According to Exodus 34:6-7, love and faithfulness are descriptive of God himself. That is why verse 3 says:
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
If you do this, according to verse 4:
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Sometimes, however, it is not easy to obey God. We desire what we should not have, and disobedience looks more profitable than obedience. At such times, according to verses 5-6, we must walk in faith:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Faith requires humility, however—the admission that we are not omniscient. So, verse 7 says:
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
Doing so results in physical wellbeing, according to verse 8:
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Verses 9 and 10 show the connection between obedience to God and material financial wellbeing:
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Despite our best efforts, we still fail to completely keep God’s commandments. At such times, God disciplines us. Rather than rebelling against him, verse 11 says we ought to receive discipline as another form of instruction:
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
Why? According to verse 12:
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
God loves and delights in his sons and daughters. That’s ultimately why we ought to obey his commandments. Whatever other blessings we receive from him are just the cherry on top of the sundae.
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